News
How Jesus understood fasting - the Jewish concept of fasting today and in the past
In Judaism, fasting is a desire to purify and get closer to God. Its purpose is conversion. Fasting itself is useless if it does not lead to abandoning one's evil deeds," stressed Shlomo Libertovski in a commentary for the Heschel Center KUL on the Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent, explaining how fasting was and is viewed in Judaism today.
Commentary on the Sunday Gospel - Jesus about women leaders in the Church
Listening to the story of the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law, who rose from her her bed and “waited on” Jesus and his disciples, we can perceive it as a message to women to serve men always and everywhere, regardless of circumstances - about why this impression is misleading and what the story can be a call to, explains Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and the first Jewish woman to teach New Testament at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, in a commentary for the Catholic University's Heschel Center for Sunday, February 4.A triple false testimony of the devil about Jesus
In this Sunday's verses of the Gospel, Jesus strictly commands Satan to be silent when he calls Him "the Holy One of God." He said: "Quiet! Come out of him!" (Mk 1:25), literally: "Put a muzzle on." He had a reason to say so, says in his commentary for the Sunday, January 26, 2024, for the Heschel Centre at the Catholic University of Lublin Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, a Bible scholar and author, head of the Polish Section of Vatican Radio and Vatican News.
Surprising encounters with the presence of God in the Hebrew Bible and the Babylonian Talmud
The readings this Sunday focus on idea of the Kingdom of God and what it means to meet the presence of God in our lives. God can speak to us even through someone like a prostitute, even if we are great sinners. What matters is our response to His call, because his Kingdom is already here," Shlomo Libertovski, Torah lecturer at Beth Shemesh,in a commentary for the Heschel Center KUL for Sunday January 21, speaks about the examples of God's unexpected callings in the Hebrew Bible and the Babylonian Talmud.
The Day of Judaism in the Lublin Archdiocese at the Catholic University of Lublin
“My Peace I Give to You” - is the motto of this year's celebration of the Day of Judaism in the Lublin Archdiocese, to be held on Wednesday, 18 January 2023, at 5 pm in Hall 1031 of the John Paul II College at the Catholic University of Lublin. The event with the participation of the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich is organised by the Archdiocesan Centre for Catholic-Jewish Dialogue and the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.
Who was the Lamb of God to the Jews of Jesus'' contemporaries?
In the Gospel scene, John the Baptist, in front of his disciples, bears witness to Jesus calling him "the Lamb of God." In light of the Hebrew Bible, this title had a profound meaning. What these words meant to the Jews of Jesus' time and Christ's first words in the pages of St. John's Gospel are discussed by the Catholic University of Lublin Rector's Plenipotentiary for Catholic-Jewish Relations and Research in the Holy Land, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Wróbel, in a commentary for the KUL Heschel Center for Sunday, January 14.
Three Mysteries of the Fortieth Day After the Birth of Jesus
On the fortieth day after the birth of a son, according to Jewish Law, three events took place: the "purification" of the child's mother, the "redemption" of the firstborn, and the "presentation" of the child. Luke does not mention the redemption of Jesus. He goes straight to the "presentation" (entrustment) of Jesus as if he wanted to say that Jesus was not redeemed and not returned to His parents. On the contrary: he was given to God his Father in the Temple, for his complete ownership," stressed Fr. Dr. Andrzej Tulej, lecturer in Sacred Scripture at the Catholic Academy in Warsaw, in a commentary for the Heschel Center of the Catholic University of Lublin, for Holy Family Sunday.
The Nativity of the Lord – continuity and surprising novelty of God’s history
The Nativity of the Lord, Christmas, is the most joyous and amazing miracle, a celebration of the Incarnation of God’s Son. The celebration shows both the continuity and novelty that Christ brings to the history of salvation written in the Old Testament – writes in his commentary Director of the Abraham Joshua Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin, a Bible scholar Fr. Prof. Marcin Kowalski.
Hebrew commentary on the Gospel of the Annunciation
The last week of Advent is dedicated to the liturgy, specifically to Mary, as is the third week to St. John the Baptist. This year, only Sunday remains this week, as Monday is Christmas. So let's pay all the more attention to the gospel of the Annunciation," writes Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, biblical scholar and editor, head of the Polish section of Vatican Radio and the Vatican News service, in a commentary for Heschel Center of the KUL University the for Sunday, December 24.
Christmas wishes from the Director of the Heschal Center KUL
May the coming Messiah give us the courage and strength to resist evil, may he help us to end the wars destroying our humanity and our human world. May God's love embrace us and our families, our homes and countries," wrote the director of the Heschel Center KUL, Rev. Prof. Marcin Kowalski, in his wishes for the coming Christmas.
